I am constantly trying new recipes on it and, like all good foodies, I wanted to learn a few more tricks and ways to cook on it. That’s why I talked to a couple of Britain’s top chefs to discover their favourite things about these must-have items.

'First and foremost, the important thing to know about the Big Green Egg is just how precisely you can control the temperature – that's what makes all the difference,’ says Robin Gill, chef-owner of The Dairy in Clapham. ‘It means you can try out different techniques or cook certain ingredients on it which a normal barbecue is too unpredictable for. Delicate vegetables such as peas or cabbage work great, but one thing we love to do at The Dairy is throw Jerusalem artichokes directly on the coals. You leave them for hours, and when you take them out and peel them you're left with this lovely, almost toffee-like flesh that's taken on all the wonderful flavours of the smoke.'

To the average person a Big Green Egg might look like a barbecue, but the way it controls heat and cooks food sets it apart. 'You need to approach cooking on the Egg in a slightly different way to a standard barbecue, but it doesn't take long to get used to,’ explains Robin. ‘Basically, the middle of the grill is the hottest part, which is great for searing and fast cooking, but around the outside is a little less intense, so if you don't want to cook something over such a high heat you can move it to the side. It's things like that which makes it such a useful tool for serious cooks.'

Bruno Loubet, head chef at London’s acclaimed Grain Store, is a big fan of the Big Green Egg, too. ‘I just love its versatility. You can bring it to a very high temperature or keep it low, depending on what you want to do. But it can do more than just grill – if you get it really hot and place a pizza stone in it you can cook pizza or bread just like you would in a proper wood-fired oven, something a normal oven (that only goes up to around 230°C) simply cannot do.'

Pizza, bread, Jerusalem artichokes – already, these are things you normally wouldn’t dream of cooking on your bog standard barbecue. But no matter what you want to cook, whether it’s an experimental slow-smoked recipe you’ve spent weeks perfecting or just a really nice piece of beef that deserves quality cooking, the Big Green Egg just gives you that extra element of control. And it’s that aspect which chefs seem to love the most. 'You can obviously cook anything you like on a Big Green Egg, but it will always cook it better than a normal barbecue because it's so easy to control the temperature and keep it at a consistent heat,’ says Bruno. ‘I love to cook shoulder of lamb – spiked with rosemary, garlic and anchovies – slowly for hours, and then open the vents towards the end of the grilling time to give it a really nice colour and crust. And as a keen gardener, I can grow things like baby leeks and just throw them on the Big Green Egg for a couple of minutes until they’re soft and beautifully charred.'

Foodies like me always want to know how chefs get the results they do. The Big Green Egg is one of those game-changing pieces of equipment that is worth its weight in gold. As we start seeing the first signs of summer there has never been a better time to get an Egg, and we even have a chance to win one on our site. Click here to enter, and good luck!